Healthier Lifestyle Thread 21st Sept till 27th Sept

[tlh]

deegee- congrats on you 1.5# weight loss this week! That is awesome!

sharon- enjoy your water workout!

marcy- You lost your crown! That stinks! I dont think I''d like the cement banging either...UGh, what a painful day! I''m sorry!

Shiny- sorry about your stress... a butterfinger blizzard sounds good.. (I know, I''m the devil! but I haven''t had one in years and I just started drooling thinking about one)

ROD_ I hope MD is fun, because that day sounded like a DOOZY! What a bummer to not extend the courtesy of a phone call, and then having to give such awesome news... CRUMMY! I hope your weekend is divine, and that your sushi is soo good it makes up for it!

Lisa- I hope your knee feels better soon. INJURIES SUCK. So tred carefully. But you are a super trooper, so I''m not too worried about ya!

Everyone Hello and thanks for your congrats. The ceremony was cool, and I''ll get my picture published in the co newsletter with a bunch of other pepes... so that will be (embarrasing!) haha! The run this morning was soo frickin'' awesome! The weather was nice, and it was good. I ran into another coyote and that sucker wasn''t as big as the last one, but he was probably 30 pounds. Man, I was surprised how close he let me get until he ran away like he was my dinner. The COOOLEST part of my run was the horses had COLTS! Babies were running around in the pens with their mommas! I ended up stopping, and watching them run for a good 5 minutes. it was AWESOME! They were only a few weeks old too! One came up to the fence and was curious about me, and I could have pet him if I wanted to, but I didn''t. I just watched... and then continued on my run. TOTALLY MADE MY DAY!

“A horse is the projection of peoples'' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.” Pam Brown

 

[Skippy123]

Hi Friends, walking last night was great and the clouds were these amazing hues of pink, sigh.

I got my allergy shots and went to lunch, ate half my lunch and left the rest. Today is hubby is home with a cold. I have been washing my hands more often but I tend to have a good immune system. hehe I will be going for a walk this evening. Oh and still no snackiness thank goodness; I wasn't that bad even when I was snacky I just like being in control if that makes sense? hehe

Hope everyone has a good Thursday.

MARCY, oh my, I would go to a different dentist, I remembered what you said the last time about that dentist and the crown bothered you then, then this crown falling off and now it not fitting. I am so sorry; I hate when my teeth don't feel right. I am very sensitive to changes in my teeth; I am having a crown put in but there is a newer dentist in the office and I am making sure it is the dentist I have had since I was a kid do it; he also had done many crowns. I would not be happy especially since this is the second time and it still isn't right; can you go to Denver if there isn't a better dentist? Huge hugs and keep us posted; I feel for you honey.

TLH, my grandma has a ranch and there would be coyotes and at first I was scared but I think they are more afraid of you then you are of them; they do look scary though. hehe On my walks there are about 3 of them that I see; one is the mom and the other two are her babies. It is wonderful to see nature! It is pretty cool to see them w/the road runners. Oh the horses sound beeeeautiful; yay for a superwoman run!!!!

LISA, hi friend! YAY for Intervals!!! YAY For wine night too, cheers

ROD, sorry it was a lousy day. Oh no to the guy turning down the offer, that is nuts! Ugh, what a jerk! Huge hugs, hope today is much better sugar!

SS, good to see you sending good thoughts your way. hugs

SHRON, cheers for all the nice workouts and good weather!

DEEGEE, YAY YAY on the weight loss you are so SKINNY!

Are you pretty close to your goal weight? My friend that is moving to England lost 50lbs doing WW and she looks amazing. I bet you look Fabulous!!!

 

[tlh]

skippy - I LOVE SEEING NATURE! That is why I run outdoors...just too much life outside to coop up indoors. Life is just too short to waste away inside wishing for things! I LOVE IT WHEN THE SKY TURNS PINK! (swoon!) I hope your hubs feels better soon. Colds are definately no fun! Get him some soup to help keep him hydrated and get those sinuses open, to get the bacteria OUT of there!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 9/24/2009 4:19:13 PM
Author: tlh
skippy - I LOVE SEEING NATURE! That is why I run outdoors...just too much life outside to coop up indoors. Life is just too short to waste away inside wishing for things! I LOVE IT WHEN THE SKY TURNS PINK! (swoon!) I hope your hubs feels better soon. Colds are definately no fun! Get him some soup to help keep him hydrated and get those sinuses open, to get the bacteria OUT of there!

Yay for nature and the horses making your day!!! They would make my DAY TOO, what a wonderful treat; I bet you made their day too! I am like you, I love love the outdoors

Thank you; good idea! I think I will make a chicken veggie lentil soup; thanks for the inspiration for dinner. heehe

 

[deegee]

Hi everyone!

Sharon & Ted - thanks so much for the congrats! I was afraid about a month or so ago that I had stalled with the weight loss, but it seems to have picked back up. Yay!

tlh - your route sounds awesome. You get to see horsies and coyotes! I''m not sure that I know what a coyote looks like. Last week 6 deer crossed in front of us, and Lily looks for them every night now in the same spot. One night we saw ducks, and she looked for them for weeks. Congrats on getting your mug in the company newsletter! Maybe you''ll get lucky and they''ll post copies on all the office bulletin boards too!

Lisa - the night stand is where Lily found my glasses too. My door was shut to keep her out, but she manages to get in. I''m going to have to find a barricade for my door! I''m sorry you''re feeling so tired because of your anemia. My sis has anemia, and she''s always trying different energy boosters. Her blood pressure drops really low, like 90 over 60, and she can barely get moving sometimes. DIY wine class? That sounds fun!

Rod - Sorry your day was so bad, but glad your test results were good! Have a great trip to MD. My friend who has the weekend house on Deep Creek Lake actually lives in Baltimore. She keeps inviting us up for shopping and crab cakes, but we never make it past her house at the lake! I hope you have a good visit with your family.

Marcy - Your crown incident sounds like a nightmare! I hope you can get it straightened out really soon. I absolutely hate having my mouth worked on. Ugh! And work drama too! Yuck.

Skippy - I have 7 pounds left to lose to get to my goal. I added 10 pounds to my initial goal, and hubby asked me to take those extra 10 pounds off and reassess once I get to my initial goal. He''s so sweet - he thinks I don''t need to lose any more weight. We got to wear jeans to work yesterday, and I got to debut my size 8''s! Me - in a size 8! My goal size was a 10, so I''m uber-excited!!! Just to be sure, I tried on size 8''s in a bunch of different brands and they all fit. I cried when I was able to get into a 12, and now I''m just plain stunned. Thanks for your kind words!!

Shiny - I''m sure knowing benefits were extended eases your mind a bunch. That''s great news!

It''s pouring the rain outside and we won''t walk unless it eases up a ton. Since I''m balance challenged, walking in the rain isn''t a great idea. I have the munchies tonight, but I''m trying to be good and snack on raw veggies. Tomorrow hubby and I are going to see Foreigner in concert, and I think it''s going to be a blast! Our seats are crappy because I forgot to get tickets earlier, but I''m really looking forward to a night of 70''s & 80''s classic rock! Woo-hoo!! I have already put in well over 40 hours at work this week (with not a dime of extra pay), so I''m taking off tomorrow afternoon with hubby. Have a great Friday everyone!

 

[Rod]

Hey......This will be really short. Long day at work, didn't make it to the gym till well after 6:30, worked out really hard, came home and ate a quick meal, then we packed for our trip to Maryland tomorrow and now I'm just getting a moment to say hey. So hey to everyone and I hope you all have a great weekend. You do lot's of healthy things. The weather where you are is perfect. You get to eat some delicous, but healthy foods. You sleep blissfully. And you have some fun too. Hugs to you all. I'm not taking my laptop, so I won't have access to email for a few days. I'll see you all next Tuesday.......

 

[tap02150]

Enjoy your trip rod! good luck everyone! YAY FOR FRIDAYS WOOO!! haha

P.S. degree i have some tips for you if you ever "stall" again with weight loss. Sometimes its just as easy as mixing up your work-outs. Other times, its a bit tougher. Ill write later, i''m heading to the gym now!

Enjoy your friday ladies (have fun rod!)

-Ted

 

[tlh]

skippy- that soup sounds good - hope the hubby could taste it! (and that he feels better soon!)

deegee- I really hope my mug isn''t on the bulletins w/ the free kitten flyers!

Coyotoes are UGLY things, they look like a fox/dog... and their shrill cries are spooky- ear piercing! I miss deer - we don''t really see those out here. Though, I don''t miss not having to watch out for them. I now have to watch out for javalinas (giant wild boars)... but they don''t leap at you like the deer do! Have fun at the concert, it sounds terrific!

Rod- have a safe trip! don''t come back w/ a t-shirt that says "I got crabs in Maryland." I''ve seen those... and they always make me laugh, but not a shirt I''d want to wear daily.

Ted- enjoy your workout! Glad you''re back in the saddle!

IT IS FRIDAY AND IT WAS IN THE 70''s THIS MORNING! YIPPPEEEEEEEEE, YAHOOOOOOOOOOOO, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited I was dancin in my undies for a good 15 minutes, until my hubby told me to quit stalling, that I had to go to work.... with CLOTHES ON. The race is this weekend. I surprised my hubs w/ a prerace gift... an indoor trainer. Basically it is getting darker now, and the way the sun is on th ehorizon it is too dangerous for him to ride solo. So on the weekdays when people are in a rush, and not paying attention, he''ll train indoors, and on the weekends... he''s got group rides. He tried it out last night, and it is SILENT. He was really very happy. Which always makes my day! This weekend will be busy w/ the expo, race, etc... and so I''ll have to get up SUPER early for my weekend run. I most likely won''t get a swim in this weekend, since we usually swim together... but it will be a good one.

“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” Mark Twain

 

[dragonfly411]

Hey everyone Sorry for my lack of post yesterday, it was just too hectic all day to sit down. The funeral went well. It was a bit long, and had lots of scripture, but it was pretty and heartfelt. We went to his family''s house after and enjoyed some food and I LOVE his great uncle.... LOVE HIM lol. He was such a cute little old man. He loves chocolate and kept telling stories about it and telling about how it''s healthy so it''s ok for him to eat it. You could tell he was very intelligent too, just also very ancient. I love old people b/c they are so full of interesting stories and wisdom. He kissed my cheek goodbye when he left hehe.

I did go jog yesterday and got in 2.25 miles before the shoulder cramped up. I''m going to try all of your tips, bananas, water. I''m wondering if upping my yoga would help as it helps you pay attention to breath. Ted the cramping is lower abdominal and right shoulder. I wonder if the shoulder is strength related also?

Tonight I''m doing strength moves mixed with stairs (I love having two stories in our house).

I got an A on my test

I got the second highest score and was one of only 3 a''s. HOW BOUT THAT.

Ted - That was a great little tid bit about anemia. I actually suffered from regular anemia when I was younger, and still have to keep a close eye on my iron levels. They won''t let me give blood b/c of it too.

Dee - sorry you ended up confused. I felt like it was Friday too

Marcy - I''d look for another dentist. It''s not fair to you for him to get grumbly about shifts and mistakes, and for him to walk out without saying anything is unacceptable to me.

SS - I say grab healthy nervous food if you need it! Bananas with some cool whip? Or Dark Chocolate squares and you can just grab a square (they sell them in 1 oz squares). You might also turn the nervousness into inspiration with working out, work out the frustration or walk to get the jitters away.

Rod - I''m sorry you had a bad day

I hope today is better

Skippy - I''m glad your walk was pretty! I love when the sky gives us a good show.

 

[tap02150]

I was going through my exercise physiology notes today and i found something very interesting I forgot to mention when i was talking about DOMS (delay onset muscle soreness).

DOMS, is the soreness you feel usually 24-48 hours after a work out and is MOSTLY caused by the "micro-tears" of "Eccentric" motions. Remember, micro-tears are good.. this is the goal, to break down the muscle so it can rebuild itself. Eccentric is the opposite of concentric. Concentric means to contract, Eccentric means to elongate. For an example; a bicep curl. The upwards curl action is concentric, while the down motion is the eccentric! So, what does all this mean.

In my notes, i have that the eccentric motion of any workout is just as important! Take your time, do not just drop the weights after you do the contraction! Finish out the entire motion. I have here in the notes, 3 seconds for contraction, 3 seconds for the eccentric (down/elongate) phase. (unless your goal is power=(strength+speed), then you add speed.. but thats another topic as well haha)

Most people miss the eccentric part when lifting weights. They are cheating themselves out of half the workout! So, if you are NOT feeling sore, and you just started a new work out, think about the eccentric parts of your lifting!!


More examples: Shoulder press, concentric is raising the bar with two hands over your head (3 seconds), and the eccentric is taking 3 seconds to lower the bar back down just above the chest level!

Leg Curls, concentric is contracting your hamstrings (back of the legs) to pull your heal to your butt, and the eccentric is moving your heal back down and and straightening your leg.

OK! I have the rest of the day to do some grad work, ill be here on price scope if anyone has any questions at
all.. please feel free to interrupt me!







Ps.

dragonfly, congrats on your A! you put the effort in, you deserved it!

TLH, It was 46 degrees this morning when i woke up and i LOVED IT! P.S. im a cold weather guy! makes my coffee taste that much better too! haha

 

[dragonfly411]

Ted
excellent info and that''s what they teach us at the gym as well.

Do you have thoughts on the shoulder issue? Would it be separate from the abdominal issue I''m having?


In relation to your most recent post, does this qualify in the case of running/cardio? Should you slowly go down to a walk from a jog and if so how slowly do you think? ALSO what in the case of resistance? Such as resistance bands?

 

[Skippy123]

Off to Muscle hour Core Revolution at the gym

Tomorrow we are going to eat lunch with out neighbors at an Indian restuarant; I better workout extra hard. hehe Hope everyone has a GREAT WEEKEND

My walk last night was nice but cool out; yay for weather in the 80's starting tomorrow!

DEEGEE, you are on the homestretch, woooohooooooooo! Yay for size 8!!!!! Have a great time at the concert, woot!!!! yay for raw veggies

ROD, have a geat time on your trip!!!! Eat lots of crab for me, hugs!!!

TLH, hahah that sounds like something I would do and something my hubby would say, too funny! Yay for the 70's! It is darker now, no fair! Yay for your hubby's race, go Mr. TLH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! woot!

DRAGON, how cute about the uncle and the chocolate stories, awwww! Yay for your jog ouch to the shoulder; hope it feels better soon. YAY for an A!!!!

TED, great info!!!

 

[tap02150]

dragonfly, 2.25 miles is deff a good jog! Gives plenty of time for a cramp.. im curious, with your shoulder, is it a shoulder cramp? or does it just feel "sore" for awhile? I''m wondering if it is your running form. Do you jog with anyone? Maybe they can watch you, or jog in front of the mirror. Your shoulders should deff bounce, and when i jog, every .25-1/2 a mile i do a couple shoulder "shrugs" with a little rotation of my arms, just to loosen them up. I could see your shoulder cramping or being sore for a few reasons, 1. Are you running with "tight shoulders"? Are your stressing them to hold them in place? 2. You are not moving your arms enough when you run. Many people run with out using arms (i tend to do this when im not thinking about it for some reason). Try running making sure your elbows extend back past your back, and then bring your fist back up in front of you. 3. You may be running flat footed? Less likely, but possible, if you have a "stomping" feeling to your run, this would put pressure on your back and shoulders.. make sure you run heel to toe.

As for abdominal cramps when running, they happen.. make sure you take deep breaths, and drink plenty of water during your run/jog. I cannot find any "secrets" to fixing these cramps =x


Ok, for your next question, after jogging/running, ALWAYS do a 5 min cooldown. I''d break it up into 1 min intervals. for the first minute, jog at like 4.0mph, then after that min, drop down to 3.5 (fast walk), then 3.0, then 2.5 for the last minute. This has nothing to do with the eccentric part of the muscles, but it will help prevent soreness or cramping by allowing better blood flow through your body!

And yes, eccentric and concentric motions are applied to resistance bands as well as lifting with say, free weights.

Resistant band example. Chest flys with band; start with band and arm extended out to the side (180 degrees) (think of your body making a T), and then pulling the band towards your body (arm still fully extended) but now your arm should be out in front of you (90 degrees). That first motion is concentric, your chest muscles are contracting so that you can pull the band across your body. When you bring the band back towards the side of your body, do it slowly, and this is the eccentric part of the exercise.

I hope this explains it better for you! Good luck

-Ted

 

[tap02150]

dragonfly, one extra thing for your shoulder when you run... Do you do any resistance training (lifting weights or using bands) for your shoulder? Shoulder strength could come into play with long jogs or runs.

 

[dragonfly411]

Ted - The shoulder is definitely cramping/knotting up. I usually end up having to have it massaged out. It hits at about 2 miles. I''m really wanting to work up to marathons eventually, right now I"m training for my first 5k but how on earth will I run it if I can''t get past 2 lol. I always start with moving shoulder stretches (windmills and what not) as I''m doing a slow warm up walk. I actually need to up my resistance training for shoulders. I had been doing work a few times a week, but I''m a slacker this month. I do do yoga at least twice a week, which I would think would at least help open and strengthen but perhaps I need more? I can honestly say I don''t know if I''m tensing. I generally feel like I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders naturally and maybe that is where I need work, is learning to relax. I have been practicing lowering them down and relaxing my arms a bit, and it helps some but not always.

How does the info above apply to sprint intervals? I suppose that works differently yes? Just trying to get as much info as possible and hopefully it will help others too.

 

[Skippy123]

back from Muscle Hour/Core Revolution and a Walk!!! It was interesting to see which people had bad balance; I was surprise by one lady that is a hard core workout queen so this class is good for her (of course I didn't tell her that) hehe. I think we forget about our core/balance when we workout sometimes. Okay, have a GREAT evening everyone one! I made whole wheat pizza crust for pizza tonight.

TGIF

 

[Skippy123]

Good morning! I went to our new Trader Joe''s today; I got there early to beat the crowds. I also visited my sister and my nephews. I also went to Weight watchers and some lady was real sweet after class and told me I should be a leader; I told her I rather weigh people in but it was super sweet of her to say.

Off to lunch. Hope everyone has a great weekend! I will be going on a long walk tonight! My arms are sore today from muscle hour. Catch you all later.

 

[deegee]

Skippy - you''d be a great leader! You''re so encouraging and you''d be a great motivator. The leader that had been with us for 20 weeks got assigned to a different part of the state, so we have a new leader. Their styles are completely different. Our new leader is so cute and sweet, we just love her to pieces. Our first leader was ornery, and we loved her too. I agree with you though that I''d rather weigh people than be a leader. I think that would be kind of fun!

The Foreigner concert last night was awesome. We had an absolute blast! Those old guys can still rock! Hubby and I grew up in the 80''s, so this was music we listened to when we were teenagers. We went to Applebee''s for dinner, and I ordered a steak from their WW menu. We haven''t been able to walk the last few days because it is raining so hard and isn''t letting up. My back is getting really stiff from not moving around enough. I need to pull out one of those exercise dvd''s I bought but have never tried. I need to clean out my closet today and get rid of all clothes that are too big. Strangely, a bunch of my shoes are too big now. I wouldn''t have guessed that one! Have a great weekend!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone! I will try to respond to all tomorrow. Last night we had supper with the in-laws and watched a movie when we came home. This morning I made breakfast and started on my many assorted chores and errands. Marty took the RV in to get repaired and winterized (he had problems last weekend with the water pump). It took the RV dealer 10 minutes and everything worked great. Go figure, eh? We went to a late lunch early supper then and came home. I spent and then Marty spent about 2 hours trying to get my laptop to print. I installed a windows update and somehow, someway it messed up my ability to print. Tonight I finally uninstalled the update and now it works again. The only problem I still have is my scanner won''t work in Photoshop. Rats. I can scan from my desktop though so that will work. Marty is packing and we have to be in the car by 5 am so I am off to bed now.

Take care!

 

[Skippy123]

Morning friends!!! My cousin and I are going walking tonight; it is beeeeautiful out, in the low 80's. HAPPY SUNDAY FRIENDS!!!

DEEGEE, you would make a fabulous leader; you are so happy go lucky, love that! Thanks friend. It is interesting to have different leaders and their styles glad you have 2 fabulous ones!! Aw, the new one sounds sweet; the ones I have had are pretty funny. hehe Yay for rockin out to Foreigner! You and your hubby sound adorable; wooohooo for a good time!!!

MARCY, how is the tooth? I was worried about your tooth hurting you the past few days.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

I’ve been up since 4 am.Much to my surprise there is air to breathe at that time.We got Marty to the airport by 6:30.I went to my sister’s house and we waited around until about 9 then went to have breakfast.They have a nice little bakery / diner in their town that has great homemade breakfast.I helped them put together a scrapbook for my parents for their birthdays while we waited.

I headed off to a few malls on the way home to shop and distract myself.Marty left San Francisco about 6 hours ago and only had 8 more hours in the air.Ugh.I hate how long it takes for him to get there.

I did find solace in a new sweater, new purse and some makeup.After I got back to town I took my mom to the mall and we had some frozen yogurt so that was my supper.

I hadn’t graded papers all weekend so that took me awhile.

Somethingshiny, glad to hear they extended unemployment benefits for 13 more weeks.I completely understand nervous eating girl.My continued PS good luck dust coming your way.

Rod, sorry you had a lousy day on Wednesday.Glad your tests were good.That is awful about the job offer being turned down after all your hard work and then for him not to have the courtesy to tell you – that speaks poorly of him.I hope you have a great time in Maryland.

Lisa, yay for wine night.I hope you got caught up on your rest and are feeling better.

Tlh, I thought of you this morning seeing the stars on our way to the airport.Glad the ceremony was cool and you’ll get your picture published in the co newsletter.AAAK for running in to coyotes.I am sure you husband will enjoy having the indoor trainer.

Skippy, glad you had such a lovely view of the sky during your walk.It was so nice in Colorado today; I wandered around an outdoor mall for about 2 hours and it was great.I hope your husband is feeling better.It is amazing how much one little change in your mouth can affect you.My mouth feels a bit better but I still am having difficulty chewing.I will probably go in this week again.He’d best not charge me multiple visits. I think you’d be a super leader at WW.

Deegee, that is cute Lily looks for the deer and ducks.Congratulations on size 8 jeans.

Woo hoo!I’d am so excited for you.

Ted, good luck with your studies.

Dragonfly, I hope your shoulder gets better.Congratulations for getting an A on your test.

Take care.

Marcy

 

[marcy]

Sweet! They have a typhoon near Hong Kong. Will 4 am ever get here?

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 9/28/2009 12:18:53 AM
Author: marcyc
Sweet! They have a typhoon near Hong Kong. Will 4 am ever get here?

Oh Marcy, I know how it is to have a hubby who travels.... I am praying all will be fine... Hang in there sweetie. I can relate more than you know. But we both have awesome hubbies. so are very blessed. xxoo Lisa

 

[marcy]

Date: 9/28/2009 12:36:41 AM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 9/28/2009 12:18:53 AM
Author: marcyc
Sweet! They have a typhoon near Hong Kong. Will 4 am ever get here?

Oh Marcy, I know how it is to have a hubby who travels.... I am praying all will be fine... Hang in there sweetie. I can relate more than you know. But we both have awesome hubbies. so are very blessed. xxoo Lisa

Thank you so much Lisa. That helps me a lot. Marty did make it okay this morning. He woke me up about 5 am my time but I didn''t mind a bit. We are blessed with awesome hubbies even though we have to be apart more than we''d like.